Much has been made about incoming five-star freshman wing player Anthony Thompson as a difference maker for Ohio State basketball this season. Getting sharpshooting guard John Mobley Jr. and the super athletic forward Amare Bynum back are also two areas that should allow the Buckeyes to make a jump this season, but there’s one player many are forgetting about.
Head coach Jake Diebler dipped into the transfer portal at the end of the 2024-25 season and brought Baylor big man Josh Ojianwuna into the fold, but he was never able to get into the lineup because of injury. He’s a big man who can provide solid girth and rebounding on the blocks, and do some damage on the offensive end down low with a high shooting percentage.
However, what might be underrated is Ojianwuna’s ability to hit from beyond the arc. It’s a trait a lot of big men have these days, but by the looks of his shooting ability at a practice recently, it looks like the 6-foot, 10-inch, 270-pounder can fill it up from three-point range quite easily and accurately. Don’t believe me? Watch some practice film from Ojianwuna knocking down several threes in repetition, thanks to the Ohio State Hoops X account, and prepare to be bewildered.
Now, obviously, shooting against air vs. in a live game setting with defense is a different animal, but it’s easy to see that Onjianwuna does indeed have a soft and accurate touch, and that’s a good place to start from. I’ve seen a lot worse shootarounds from guys who considered their shooting ability to be top-notch.
Onjianwanu should be in the running to grab the starting spot at the five spot, but if he doesn’t, you can bet on him being a significant part of the rotation and causing opposing defenses mismatch nightmares. We can’t wait to see it.
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This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: WATCH: Ohio State big man Josh Ojianwuna can chuck it from deep
Reporting by Phil Harrison, Buckeyes Wire / Buckeyes Wire
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By Phil Harrison, Buckeyes Wire | USA TODAY Network
